The invention relates generally to a sidecar steering aid, particularly for a sidecar driven by a motorcycle.
Motorcycle sidecars provide motorists the experience of riding a motorcycle while at the same time providing some of the carrying capacity of a small automobile. This greatly enhances the practicality of the motorcycle as a multiple use vehicle. However, sidecars for motorcycles significantly affect the handling characteristics of the motorcycle. Moreover, because the sidecar is typically mounted on one side of the motorcycle or the other, it applies forces on the motorcycle that are not balanced, and the rider must correct for these imbalanced forces. A significant one of these forces is aerodynamic drag. The drag force on the sidecar is applied to one side of the motorcycle and not the other, which tends to force the motorcycle to the left or to the right. Therefore, if the rider desires to travel straight ahead, he or she must correct for this drag force by turning (xe2x80x9ccockingxe2x80x9d) the front wheel slightly in the opposite direction. However, in response, road forces are exerted on the front tire tending to maintain a straight direction of travel for the front wheel. The rider must therefore exert a constant force on the handlebars of the motorcycle to maintain the xe2x80x9ccockedxe2x80x9d orientation of the front wheel against these road forces. This is tiring for the rider, and detracts substantially from his or her enjoyment of riding the motorcycle.
Accordingly, there is a need for a sidecar steering aid that provides for reducing or eliminating the steering force required to maintain a straight-ahead direction of travel for the vehicle to which the sidecar is attached.
The sidecar steering aid according to the present invention solves the aforementioned problem and meets the aforementioned need by providing a coupling mechanism for coupling the sidecar to a steering member of a vehicle to which the sidecar is attached, typically the front fork of a motorcycle. The coupling mechanism provides for control of movement between the turning wheel of the vehicle and the sidecar. The coupling mechanism includes a spring adapted to provide resistance to compression and tension about a neutral position of the spring. The neutral position is biased with respect to the turning wheel so that the wheel is xe2x80x9ccockedxe2x80x9d a predetermined amount by the spring, relieving the rider from this task.
Preferably, the coupling mechanism also includes a shock absorbing or dampening element to resist movement as a function of the velocity of the movement.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a novel and improved sidecar steering aid.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a sidecar steering aid that provides for reducing or eliminating the steering force required to maintain a straight-ahead direction of travel for the vehicle to which the sidecar is attached.
The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the following drawings.